The girls’ varsity volleyball team brought the heat, outplaying the Terra Linda Trojans by slim margins on Sept. 25. During the first set, the Giants and the Trojans battled head to head in a tug-of-war over the lead.
Senior and starting player Noe Corren felt that Terra Linda’s unexpectedly strong performance allowed the Redwood girls to push themselves harder.
“All of us initially were shocked at how close the sets were getting, but that just proves that it doesn’t matter who we are playing because every team has the ability to get stronger. We just have to focus on our strengths as a team and I feel like we did that very well in this game,” Corren said.
While the Trojans defended well against the strong spikes by senior Jordan Perry and junior Ella Green and, the Giants were able to win the first set 25-14.
Senior and captain Lucy Walsh, a recent Division I recruit for the Santa Clara women’s volleyball team, was extremely pleased with the team dynamic and collective level of play. Additionally, the team spends time perfecting certain plays to allow them to progress further.
“I think our execution was really good. We got a lot of kills in the system and out of the system. A lot of that had to do with our communication on the court and talking to each other during the game. We played really good defense and our serve and receive was sustained throughout the entire three sets,” Walsh said.
In the second set, the Giant’s started off strong with a lead of 3-0. Their consistency and aggression allowed them to utilize all of their individual and team strengths. The second set ended in another win for the Giants’ at 25-12.
Junior Ryan Bludau, a recent addition to the varsity squad, is proud of their performance, however, remains hopeful to improve throughout the season. The Giants employed incredible defensive skills blocking every ball being spiked or tipped over the net all while screaming their positions on the court in an effort to communicate amongst the team.
“Even though it’s just the beginning, we do really well in our execution in the actual games and really well with our communication. I think that if we continue improving and evolving our conditioning and communication skills we’re bound to have a great season,” Bludau said.
In the third set, the Trojans were able to fracture Redwood’s defensive efforts exhibited in the previous sets. However, the Giant’s pocketed yet another victory with a score of 25-18, putting the team’s record at 13-1. Their next game will be played against San Rafael at San Rafael High School on Sept. 27.

Gallery • 9 Photos